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Thursday, December 13, 2012

Grants Available for Programs that Benefit Connecticut’s Quinnipiac River

Deadline to Submit Applications is January 10, 2013

NEW HAVEN - The Quinnipiac River Fund, a component fund of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, has grants available.

The grants are for research projects "that measure and monitor pollutants in the Quinnipiac River, work to reduce sources of pollution, educate the public and improve the environmental quality of Quinnipiac River, the New Haven Harbor, and their watersheds, and otherwise benefit the environment of those resources," according to a statement.

Eligibility criteria and links to the online applications are available at www.cfgnh.org; deadline to apply is by 5 p.m Jan. 10, 2013.

Also from the statement: "For the past twenty-two years, the Quinnipiac River Fund has served as Connecticut’s only permanent endowment working solely to protect and preserve the Quinnipiac River and its watersheds. Approximately $100,000 in grants is awarded each Spring from the Fund, which was established in 1990 as a result of a legal settlement between the National Resources Defense Council, Connecticut Fund for the Environment, and the Upjohn Corporation."

"A recent review of projects funded by the Quinnipiac River Fund shows that a new generation of chemical pollution - chiefly phthalates, endocrine disrupting chemicals and nitrogen - is making its way into the river and surrounding areas. By measuring these pollutants and tracking their effects on the ecosystem, local researchers are gathering the data needed to help create water protections for the 21st Century."

"One of the most widely used family of chemicals today, phthalates act as a softener in pipes, hoses, vinyl flooring, medical devices and many other materials. While exposure levels that pose health risks still requires further study, phthalates are the suspected culprits of increasing rates of asthma, cancer, and obesity."

"With funding from the Quinnipiac River Fund, Yale researchers are looking at the environmental effects of phthalates and other chemicals known as endocrine disruptors, which are found in virtually every personal care product in a typical home’s medicine cabinet. Previous studies have found some of the highest concentrations of endocrine disrupting chemicals are near suburban homes reliant upon septic systems; funding is enabling the examination of local frog, mussel and fish populations. Elevated nitrogen levels are also a concern, as too much nitrogen chokes oxygen from the water, leading to algae blooms that kill off marine plant, fish, and shellfish populations. Sources of nitrogen pollution include lawn and agricultural fertilizers and inadequate wastewater treatment. For more about the projects that have received funding from the Quinnipiac River Fund, including final reports in text and video formats, visit www.thequinnipiacriver.com."

On December 17, Audubon CT, a recent Quinnipiac River Fund grantee, is discussing storm recovery and resilience in the wake of Hurricane Sandy at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven. The event is open to the public and runs from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.; details are available at www.cfgnh.org.